Prophylactic effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in gastric cancer patients with postoperative complications

Background The occurrence of postoperative complications may have a significant negative impact on the prognosis of patients with gastrointestinal cancers. The inflammatory response releases systemic cytokines, which may induce residual cancer cell growth. Recently, neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) was found to improve the prognosis of advanced gastric cancer (GC). We hypothesize that when postoperative complications occur after gastrectomy, NAC treatment of micrometastases can prevent residual cancer cell growth.